What we eat affects not only our physical wellbeing but also how we operate emotionally. The College of Medicine has collaborated with Harvard-trained nutritional psychiatrist and professional chef Dr Uma Naidoo, our US Ambassador of food and nutrition, on a six-section online leaflet that covers how we can eat well for better sleep, memory and focus and less anxiety, pain and unhappiness…
FOODS FOR BETTER SLEEP
WHAT TO EAT TO HELP LOWER PAIN
HELP WITH UNHAPPINESS
LOWERING ANXIETY
FOR FOCUS AND TO HELP CLEAR BRAIN FOG
HELPING SYMPTOMS OF ADHD
PRACTICAL TIPS FOR HEALTHIER EATING
Practical Tip #1
Use one of these healthier cooking methods:
- Steam
- Oven Bake
- Oven Roast
- Air-fry crispy foods instead of frying
- Instant Pot for batch cooking soups, curries, stews, lentils, beans
- Raw veggies and fruit
Practical Tip #2
Healthy portion sizes:
Chicken/Beef/Pork/Lamb/Fish/Tofu >> size of your fist or computer mouse
Berries >> 125grams
Nuts (Raw. Natural, no seasoning) >> 125grams
Plain Yogurt >> 250ml
Practical Tip #3
Read your food labels:
Use the divide by 4 rule…so 4 grams of sugar equals one teaspoon
Practical Tip #4
Watch for added salt (sodium) and sugar in these supermarket foods:
- Tinned Soups
- Instant Desserts/Puddings
- Vegetable Juices
- Salad Dressings
- Snack Foods
- Tomato Sauce
- Crackers, crisps, biscuits
Practical Tip #5
Things to do for better brain health
- Hydration
- Movement
- 10-minute gentle walk
- Sense of community
- Sleep
- Yoga
- Alcohol in moderation
- Meditation
- Mindful eating
- Tai chi
- Breathing exercise
- Reiki
- Acupuncture
Practical Tip #6
Watch out for hidden oils, sugars and fats; they can often be find in products marketed as ‘healthy’, for example:
- Flavoured yoghurts
- Supermarket salad dressings
- Store bought pasta sauces
- Ketchup
- Breakfast cereals
- Muesli bars (protein bars)
GENERAL SHOPPING AND EATING ADVICE FOR A HEALTHY BRAIN AND BODY
- Whole foods: Eat the orange, avoid the orange juice
- Fresh vegetables
- Frozen vegetables & fruit with no added sauce, salt or sugar
- Tinned chickpeas, black beans with nothing added
- Rinse before eating
- Baked beans – look for less salt and sugar on the label
- Limit boxed foods (dyes and preservatives)
- Limit corn, soy, vegetable & seed oils
- Limit packaged foods (dyes and preservatives
- Tinned salmon, herring, mackerel, sardines-tinned in water is a healthier option
- Organic meats if possible
- Limit processed meats (cold meats, sausages, bacon)
- Limit artificial sweeteners in foods/cool drinks labelled “low sugar” or ”no sugar”
- Save dessert for once a week instead of every night
- Colourful vegetable challenge: try for 10/day or 30/week
- Eat vegetables and fruit that are in season
ABOUT DR UMA NAIDOO
Dr Uma Naidoo is a Harvard-trained nutritional psychiatrist, professional chef, and nutritional biologist and author of the national and international bestseller: “This is Your Brain on Food.”
Michelin-starred chef David Bouley described Dr. Uma Naidoo as the world’s first “triple threat” in the food and medicine space as the nexus of her interests have found their niche in Nutritional Psychiatry. Her book has been published in 22 countries and 18 languages.
Dr. Naidoo founded and directs the first and only hospital-based Nutritional Psychiatry Service in the USA. She is the Director of Nutritional and Metabolic Psychiatry at Massachusetts General Hospital & Director of Nutritional Psychiatry at the MGH Academy while serving on the faculty at Harvard Medical School.
She serves as a regular media contributor at CNBC and is on the Harvard Health Publishing Editorial Advisory Board. She has been invited by the World Economic Forum to consult on their New Frontiers of Nutrition initiative. She designed and released the first and only CME based educational program at Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard to educate other clinicians globally about nutrition for brain health.
DISCLAIMER
This information provided is a generic approach designed to enhance and support general health and well-being. It is not intended to diagnose, treat or give advice for specific illnesses or conditions. You are responsible for your own health and well-being. If in doubt, seek the advice of a your GP, a medical specialist or other suitable health care professional for further guidance. No individualised advice can or will be given.
